Baby, I'm Burning
by writetherest
Summary: Hot coffee, a collision, and Emma's tight clothes lead to a very awkward situation... and a realization, too.


**Author's Note: **Written for Swan Queen Week Summer 2014 - Day 1 - Awkward Situation. I completely forgot to post it here after I wrote it.

Situation slightly stolen (although adapted) from The Nanny. Title from the Dolly Parton song of the same name.

* * *

Emma had been expecting retaliation from Regina. She knew that what she'd inadvertently done had truly hurt Regina and when Regina was hurt, she tended to lash out. But the days went on and though Emma was constantly on alert, it was all for naught. Regina was very seldom seen and it seemed like she went out of her way to avoid Emma. So finally, nearly a month after her return from the Enchanted Forest with Marian in tow, Emma began to relax.

It was on that very day that she ran, quite literally, into Regina.

It was just before the lunch rush and Emma was in a hurry to pick up her to go order from Granny's. She was focused only on reaching the counter where Ruby stood. Regina was in a rush too, having just picked up a piping hot coffee to go. She was focused only on leaving the counter where Ruby stood and getting back to the office. And so it was that neither woman really noticed the other until it was too late.

Emma marched forward, Regina spun around, and they collided, Regina's steaming coffee spilling all over the front of Emma. Emma let out a loud gasp and moved back, although later Regina would wonder how it was that she didn't scream out in agony. Emma looked up and saw Regina, the now crushed and empty Styrofoam cup in her hand. With a quick shake of her head, she began moving to the back room.

"Miss Swan!" Regina called after, but Emma just kept moving. Regina quickly followed after her.

"Miss Swan." She tried again once they got into the back room.

"Look, I get that you're pissed at me and probably blame me for spilling your coffee along with ruining your life, but right now, I'm trying to save my burning flesh so can we just not?" Emma gasped out as she began to try and tug the tank top over her head.

"Oh, I'm sure it's not –" But Regina stopped as soon as Emma turned towards her and she noticed just how red and blistered the skin around Emma's neck was. "Oh my god."

Emma laughed mirthlessly as she struggled with the tank top that seemed to be peeling away layers of skin as it was pulled up. Once she got it up though, she got stuck, unable to pull it over her head with all her hair hanging things up. "Shit. It's stuck."

"Let me help you." Regina automatically moved forward, grasping the cotton and trying to help, but Emma was thrashing around wildly. "Stop moving." Regina commanded.

"I can't. I'm burning up. I have to get it off." Emma protested and she continued to wiggle and tug.

"We'll get it off. Just, here." She pushed Emma back towards the washing machine, trying to keep her steady. Their bodies pressed together and Emma gasped again.

"I don't know why you insist on wearing such tight clothing." Regina said as they finally managed to get the tank top up over her head. "It makes things so difficult." She dropped the tank top to the floor as she surveyed Emma's skin. The redness ran down over her abs and disappeared under the waistband of her jeans.

Regina's fingers reached out and popped the button on Emma's jeans, sliding down the zipper. "These have to go. If I can get the damn things off of you."

"God, Regina, just stop talking." Emma moaned, her eyes fluttering shut against the pain. She wiggled her hips as Regina shoved the tight jeans down, getting caught on her boots. Regina ignored the boots, looking at Emma's legs, pleased that the burns didn't seem to go further than her stomach. Emma began to squirm, shuffling her feet within the jeans.

"Hold still. Let me look at you." Regina looked over the badly burned skin and winced, automatically reaching out and picking Emma up, sitting her on the washing machine. "I want you –"

"Regina!" Emma protested as her back hit the button and caused the machine to whir to life.

"Hush!" Regina snapped at her. "Just let me make you feel better." Regina lifted her hands up, placing them over Emma's skin, concentrating on healing Emma.

"Oh." Emma murmured in relief as her head dropped back and she pushed her body forward, trying to get her burning skin against the cool, healing power of Regina's hands. "Yes."

Regina moved her hands, sliding them over Emma's reddened abs, making sure her skin healed as she went. Then, she moved up to cup the burned skin of Emma's breasts. She growled as her hands moved over Emma's bra. "This has got to go."

Automatically, Emma was reaching for the clasp of her bra. It was just as the bra was about to fall that they heard the distinctive clearing of a throat behind them.

Both women jumped and looked in the doorway to find Snow, Charming, Henry, Ruby, Robin, and Marian all watching them with wide eyes.

Emma blinked, not sure what to say, knowing exactly how things must have looked to those gathered and god, Henry was probably scarred for life after this. "Uh, how – how long have you guys been standing there because –"

"Long enough!" Ruby wiggled her eyebrows, shooting Emma a smirk.

"No," Emma shook her head, "this isn't – we weren't –"

"Emma was burned and –"

"Yeah, I bet she was burned. We saw how hot and bothered Emma was." Ruby cackled.

"No, really, I –" Emma hopped off the washing machine to show them her burns, only to look down and realize that all of her skin was healed and she was left standing in her underwear, clutching her bra to her chest.

"Emma," Snow's voice cut her off, "it's alright."

"It's – what?" Emma gasped, staring at Snow as though she'd grown another head. Of all the people that had caught them in this awkward situation, she figured Snow would be the one whose head was exploding. But instead, she seemed calm and understanding.

"Emma, all your father and I have ever wanted is your happiness. And if you and Regina can find that happiness together, to be a family with Henry, well, I think it's wonderful."

"A family." Emma whispered the words as they hit her in a similar fashion to how the coffee had – without warning.

"No!" Regina denied, quickly shaking her head. "We aren't –"

"Regina," Robin interjected, "it's all right. You don't have to hide it or deny it. I'm happy for you."

"You're happy for –"

"I always suspected that you had feelings for Sheriff Swan. I'm so pleased that you've decided to go forward with them."

"What – what do you mean that I have feelings for Emma?" Regina demanded.

"I had your heart, Regina." Robin reminded her. "I felt how it would race at certain times. I realized that it only did that when Sheriff Swan was around."

Emma's eyes flew to Regina. "Is that true?"

"N-no. It –"

"Moms," Henry cut in this time, "it's really okay. You don't have to hide. It's obvious how you feel about each other. And I couldn't be happier."

"It is?"

"You couldn't?"

"Ma, you're like a puppy when it comes to Mom. And Mom, I've never seen you smile at anyone the way you smile at Ma, except for me." Henry told them, rolling his eyes.

"But –"

"I think it's beautiful, how much you love each other." Marian smiled and Emma thought for sure Regina would kill her, but it seemed that Regina was incapable of moving.

"We don't –" Emma started weakly, but couldn't even bring herself to finish the protest.

"Would you just stop denying it?" Ruby huffed. "We're all rooting for you. Just, maybe next time keep it in your pants until you get home, huh? Or at least rent a room, god knows we could use the income."

"You've got five minute to get dressed and come back out to eat with us." David said, his voice stern but his eyes smiling. "You can… finish…. this… later."

Ruby laughed and turned to leave with the rest of the group following her, leaving only Emma and Regina once again.

"Can you believe that they –" Regina began but the rest of her sentence was cut off by Emma's lips on hers.

"Yes." Emma murmured when she pulled back, her forehead still resting against Regina's own. "I can believe it. Because they're not wrong."

Regina felt her heart race and knew that if Robin still had it, he would be holding it up as Exhibit A right about now. "No, they're not," she said before kissing Emma again.

"Well, now that we've got that covered," Emma took a step back, tugging Regina with her, being careful not to trip over the pants that were still pooled around her ankles. "We've got five minutes before they come bursting back in here. What do you say we give them a real show this time?"

Regina laughed as she picked up Emma and deposited her on the washing machine again. "I'd say, you're on."

Emma joined in her laughter, wiggling her brows and finally letting the bra fall from her chest. "Damn right I am."

And soon the burning that Emma felt had nothing to do with coffee at all.


End file.
